Govt rejects role, says AAP lives on controversies

The BJP was quick to rebut Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s allegation that the censor board was seeking cuts in the upcoming movie Udta Punjab on the orders of the BJP.

“I completely reject it that the government has any role or intervened to stop its release. AAP survives on controversies. It creates controversies for political purposes,” Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said on Wednesday.

The government washed its hands of the controversy with the information and broadcasting ministry asserting that the certification process was independent and even court verdicts have made it clear that the government does not have much role in it.

Even as the entire controversy turned into political mudslinging, industry sources informed this newspaper that the Bombay high court is likely to ask the producers to take their film to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).

As per procedure, if a film is not cleared by the censor board’s examining and review committees, then the makers have the option of pleading their case before the FCAT, headed by a retired high court judge. If the tribunal does not rule in their favour, then the producers can move a court of law.

However, in the case of Udta Punjab, the producers have straightaway approached the Bombay high court seeking a copy of the CBFC review committee’s order which apparently has suggested 13 changes in the film and sought the removal of all references to Punjab.

Sources said the film’s release date is June 17 but the FCAT head, Justice S.K. Mahajan (Retd), is learnt to be abroad and likely to return only around the aforementioned date. Therefore, even if the film is referred to the appellate tribunal, Justice Mahajan may not have time enough to see the film and give his verdict, they added.

News agencies, quoting the film’s producers, later said they had got a copy of the review committee’s order. Mr Nihalani said the producers themselves did not collect the order until Wednesday and instead went to the media, making the matter public.